1984 Ed.]
Merchant Shipping (Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations
[CAP. 281
C9
[Subsidiary]
(h) The chief engineer officer shall ensure that the engineer officer in charge of the watch is informed of all preventive maintenance, damage control, or repair operations to be performed during the watch. The engineer officer in charge of the watch shall be responsible for the isolation, by-passing and adjustment of all machinery under his responsibility that is to be worked on, and shall record all work carried out.
(i) Before going off duty, the engineer officer in charge of the watch shall ensure that all events related to the main and auxiliary machinery are suitably recorded.
(j) To avoid any danger to the safety of the ship and its crew, the engineer officer in charge of the watch shall notify the bridge immediately in the event of fire, impending actions in machinery spaces that may cause reduction in ship's speed, imminent steering failure, stoppage of the ship's propulsion system, any alteration in the generation of electric power, or any similar threat to safety. This notification, where possible, shall be accomplished before changes are made in order to afford the bridge the maximum available time to take whatever action is possible to avoid a potential marine casualty.
(k) When the engine room is put in a standby condition, the engineer officer in charge of the watch shall ensure that all machinery and equipment which may be used during manoeuvring is in a state of immediate readiness and that an adequate reserve of power is available for steering gear and other requirements.
Watch requirements.
(a) Every member of the watch shall be familiar with his assigned watchkeeping duties. In addition, every member shall in relation to that ship-
(i) know the use of appropriate internal communication systems;
(ii) know the escape routes from the machinery spaces;
(iii) know the engine room alarm systems and be able to distinguish between the various alarms with special reference to the fire extinguishing gas alarm;
(iv) know the position and use of the fire-fighting equipment in the machinery spaces.
(b) The composition of an underway watch shall, at all times, be adequate to ensure the safe operation of all machinery affecting the operation of the ship, in either automated or manual mode, and be appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions. To achieve this, the following, inter alia, shall be taken into account-
(i) the need for adequate supervision, at all times, of machinery affecting the safe operation of the ship;
(ii) the condition and reliability of any remotely operated propulsion and steering equipment and their controls, the location of such controls and the procedures involved in placing them in a manual mode of operation in the event of breakdown or emergency;
(iii) the location and method of operation of fixed fire detection, fire extinction or fire containment devices and apparatus;
(iv) the method of use and the operational condition of auxiliary, standby and emergency equipment affecting the safe navigation, mooring or docking operations of the ship;
(v) steps and procedures necessary to maintain the condition of machinery installations in order to ensure their efficient operation during all modes of ship operation;
(vi) any other demands on the watch which may arise as a result of special operating circumstances.
(c) At an unsheltered anchorage the chief engineer officer shall consult with the master whether or not to maintain an underway watch.
4. Fitness for duty.
The watch system shall be such that the efficiency of the watch is not impaired by fatigue. Duties shall be so organized by the chief engineer officer that the first watch at the commencement of a voyage and the subsequent relieving watches are sufficiently rested and otherwise fit for duty.